Highlanders can't weather the Storm in loss

Cape Breton Post

Published: Feb 25 at 11:22 p.m.

Cape Breton forward Jamal Reynolds is a study in concentration as he sails above the Island Storm's Franklin Session to lay in two of the 23 points he scored in the Highlanders 138-121 loss on Sunday afternoon at Centre 200 in Sydney. - Vaughan Merchant

Cape Breton suffers 138-121 setback to Charlottetown club

SYDNEY, N.S. — Forgive the Cape Breton Highlanders if they feel a little under the weather after weekend losses to the Storm and the Hurricanes.

Following a loss to Halifax on Friday, the Sydney-based National Basketball League of Canada team suffered a 138-121 defeat to Charlottetown’s Island Storm on Sunday before a crowd of 1,039 at Centre 200.

For the Highlanders, it was once again a case of one bad quarter. Equal after the first quarter, the Highlanders were outscored 39-15 in the second and hit the locker room at halftime trailing by 24 points.

Cape Breton’s offense got rolling in the fourth quarter as it struck for 45 points, but the deficit was too much to overcome and the Storm ran off the court with the win.

Chris Johnson led the Storm with a game-high 38 points, while Du’Vaughn Maxwell netted 28 points to go with 10 rebounds.

The Highlanders’ Malik Story hit nine of 19 three-point shot attempts and finished the contest with 37 points. Jamal Reynolds came off the bench to score 23 points.

It was the Highlanders’ third consecutive home loss and drops their record to 11-18 with 11 matches remaining in the 40-game season. The win improved the Storm’s record to 12-16. The two teams still have three games to play against each other before the season wraps up on April 1.

The Highlanders are on the road this weekend when they travel to Saint John to take on the Riptide on Saturday. Cape Breton’s next home game is on March 8, when the Moncton Magic come to town.